Pneumatic discharge hopper car



Feb. 6, 1962 G. B. DOREY PNEUMATIC DISCHARGE HOPPER CAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Nov. 18, 1959 w W FM w w .J

Feb. 6, 1962 s. B. DOREY PNEUMATIC DISCHARGE HOPPER CAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed NOV. 18, 1959 IN V EN TOR. 96 B. B0 fey V660 B -W- Feb. 6, 1962 G.a. DOREY PNEUMATIC DISCHARGE HOPPER CAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 18,1959 INVENTOR. George .5 13 2154 MM afiww/ United StatesPatent O"3,020,092 PNEUMATIC DISCHARGE HOPPER CAR George B. Dorey, Westmount,Quebec, Canada, assignor to Enterprise Railway Equipment Company,Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Nov. 18, 1959, Ser. No.853,904 1 Claim. (Cl. 302--52) This invention relates to a pneumaticdischarge hopper car and more particularly it relates to that type ofcar having provision for selectively discharging the lading either bygravity or pneumatically by connection with a source of reducedpressure.

The objects of the invention, among others, are: To provide a car of theidentified type wherein the mouth of the pneumatic outlet'conduit isprotected against flooding; to provide an improved type of vacuumchamber for re'ceiving'lading in a'controlled flow; to provide a simpletype of bafile plate for cooperation with slope sheets of the hopper andwith a movable floor to form a vacuum chamber for admission of ladingprior to its entrainment in the outlet conduit system; to provideimproved air inlet and outlet conduit means; and to provide improvedmeans for simultaneously retaining and sealing closures for the openingsof the air inlet and air and lading outlet conduits.

The invention further resides in certain details of construction andrefinement of parts such as will be pointed out hereinafter.

For further comprehension of the invention reference may be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein the improvement is shown as applied to aso-called covered hopper car.

In said drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a covered hopper car with aconveying pipe connected to one of the hoppers of the car.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, on an enlarged scale, of one of thehoppers embodying the improved structure.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the structure shown in FIG. 2 asviewed from right to left.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view as taken on linecorresponding to a line 5--5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken through the conduit assemblyas taken on a line 6-6 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 6 except that the closingsleeve for the air inlet is shown as positioned in closed relation withrespect to the air inlet ports.

FIG. 8 is a sectional plan view taken on a line 88 of FIG. 2 tospecifically illustrate the anti-rotation interlocking action betweenthe exit conduit nozzle and its associated sleeve.

In said drawings referring more particularly to FIG. 1, the hopper car,which is indicated by the trucks 10 and the body structure showing aportion of the length of the car shown at 11, includes load containinghoppers one of which is indicated at 12. Each hopper 12 has an outletconduit assembly '13, one of which is connected with a flexibleconveying hose 14 leading to a source (not shown) of reduced pressure.

The main load containing hopper 12 as best seen by reference to FIGS. 2to 5, inclusive, includes side walls 15 and 16 which meet with slopingwalls 17 and 18 to form a four-sided hopper leading to a rectangularshaped discharge opening 19. The opening 19 is surrounded by a frame 20which forms a support for a sliding gate 21 whereby discharge of ladingmay be effected by gravity upon movement of it to the open position.

3,020,092 Patented Feb. 6, 1962 Extension rails 22-22 are provided forsupporting the overhanging portion of the gate 21 in opened position.

' The mechanism for moving the gate 21 does not form any part of thepresent invention and is therefore not shown or described herein.

The sloping end wall 18 is provided with an opening 23 which constitutesa mouth 24 of an outer shell 25 of the conduit assembly 13, previouslymentioned. The shell 25 is welded at 27 to the end wall 18. The conduitassembly 13 also includes an inner tube 29 having its surface spacedfrom the inner surface of the outer shell 25 to provide an annularchamber 32 therebetween for the passage of air. The inner tube 29 isextended beyond an annular end wall 33 of the chamber 32 to provide aprojecting nozzle section 34 for receiving the flexible suction hose 14,as seen in FIG. 1.

The outer shell 25 is provided with a series of radially spacedapertures 35 for admittance of air in the chamber 32. For controllingthe volume of entering air, a sleeve 36, having a series of apertures37, is rotatably mounted on the outer shell 25. The said apertures 37are disposed in axial alignment with the apertures 35 and radiallyspaced to correspond therewith. The spacing of the respective apertures35 and 37, thus corresponding axially and radially, allows for fullopening movement upon rotation of the sleeve to bring the openings 35and 37 in regulating alignment as seen in FIG. 7. Graduation of the airopenings is effected by partial rotation of the sleeve 36 toward fullyclosed position shown in FIG. 6 and holding it positioned to therequired extent between its open and closed position.

The sleeve 36 is maintained against axial movement by flanges 38 and 39and is adapted to be held in closed position against rotation byinterlocking with a nozzle cap 40 as will be described.

The cap 40 is of cup shape with a resilient gasket 41 on its inner endwhich is arranged to impinge on the end face 42 of the nozzle section34. The cap 40 is notched at its upper and lower opposite sides as seenat 43 and 44 and said notches engage with lugs 45 and 46 which in turnare fixedly associated with the flange 39. The cap 40 is retained intight sealing engagement with the end 42 of the nozzle 34 by means ofswinging bolts 47 which are pivotally connected at 48 on lugs 49 whichin turn are mounted on the sleeve 36. The cap 40 is provided withlaterally extending open sided notches 50 in which the swinging bolts 47are received and held by screw threaded wing nuts 51 which engage withcomplementary screw threaded end portions 52 of the swinging bolts 47.

The cap 40 and sleeve 36 are provided with aligned lugs 53 and 54 whichare straddled by a catch 55, the said catch 55 being pivoted on lug 54at 56. The lug 53 is apertured at 57 and spaced side walls 5858 on thecap 40 are likewise apertured at 59 with the said apertures 57 and 59 solocated as to be in registering alignment to receive a sealing ribbon 61when the cap 40 is in its finally closed and latched position.

The catch 55, when in overturned released position as indicated byconventional dot and dash lines in FIG. 2, forms a convenient handle forrotating the sleeve 36.

The load containing hopper 12 adjacent the mouth 24 of the conduitassembly 13 is provided with a secondary floor 62 which overlies themouth 24 of the conduit assembly 13 and in cooperation with the mainwall 18 and the sliding gate 21 forms a vacuum chamber 63. The lowermarginal edge 64 of the floor 62 is spaced a limited distance from theupper surface 65 of the gate 21 to pro vide an opening 66 for theentrainment of lading into the vacuum chamber 63 and thence into theinner tube 29 of the exit conduit 13.

With the arrangement of a secondary floor 62 thus disposed above themouth 24 of the exit conduit 13 to form the vacuum chamber 63, it willbe seen that clogging of the conduit system by a glut of lading iseffectively guarded against. A scoop like extension 67 is providedadjacent the mouth 29 of the outer shell 25 for the purpose of easingthe flow of lading into the inner tube 29.

The operation and advantages of the improvement will be best understoodby reference to the procedure involved in an unloading operation.Assuming the parts positioned as in FIGS. 2-6, inclusive, the cap 40 isfirst removed and connection elfected by means of a flexible hose 14with a source (not shown) of reduced pressure. The ports 37 are thenuncovered by partial rotation of the sleeve 36 and air is admitted inthe system to flow through the annular chamber 32, and thence into thechamber 63 and there creating a partial vacuum. The reduced pressurethus created has the efiect of drawing lading from the main hopper 12through the narrow opening 66 and along the scoop like extension 67 intothe inner tube 29 of the outlet conduit assembly 13.

What is claimed as new is:

In combination, a multi-sided load containing hopper having a dischargeopening and a sliding gate for controlling discharge of lading bygravity from the opening and additional means for withdrawal of ladingpneumatically including air inlet and air and lading exit conduitsconnecting with one side of the hopper, a secondary floor spaced fromthe hopper side having the exit conduit to form in combination with saidhopper wall and with the floor of the sliding gate a vacuum chamber,said secondary floor being spaced from the floor of the gate to providean entrance opening for the lading, and a deflector extending downwardlyfrom the mouth of the exit conduit towards the entrance opening todirect the flow of lading into the exit conduit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS530,829 Duckham Dec. 11, 1894 2,190,727 McKenna Feb. 20, 1940 2,418,302Hornbrook Apr. 1, 1947

